The War for Gallica
by Lady Maeror
Summary: The King of Gallica has been assassinated. A tyrant Lord plans to unite the Kingdom under his banner by conquering neighbouring countries. Only one person stands in his way, who arrives at Duncan's court to plead for his help. Full summary inside.
1. Flee for Freedom

**The War for Gallica:**

_Full Summary:_

The King of Gallica has been assassinated. His nephew, Lord Theodore, plans to unite Gallica under his banner by conquering neighbouring countries, and Araluen is a key target. But one person stands in his way: the true heir to the Gallican throne, Princess Liliane, who arrives at Duncan's court to plead for his help.

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**Disclaimer:**

I don't own RA or the characters, I just mess with them. Disclaimer for whole story.

**Warning:**

Spoilers up to Book 10 and perhaps beyond.

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**Author's Note:**

So picked this up from Book 3... Yeah lotsa stories coming from rereading the series for the 20th time, I think I have 3 more...

I found this bit interesting, when Halt/Horace first arrive in Gallica, and it prompted a story. Set somewhere between Books 9-10 OR after the events in Book 10, not sure yet.

I love canon pairings, so don't stress about an OC coming along. I just thought this would be brilliant, since I rarely do a story without an actual plot, (I.e. they're all romances and fluff...)

I hope you enjoy! :)

**No Flames. Read and Review. Constructive Criticism Accepted if Relevant.**

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**Prologue:**

**|| Flee for Freedom ||**

**xxx**

* * *

The young woman, barely twenty years of age, sat alone in her room, absently gazing out of the window.

Her dark brown hair hung over one shoulder, while she fiddled with the sequins hemmed onto her beautiful dress.

Princess Liliane often got bored where she was, but she had little choice in the matter.

The castle she lived at, Château de Grande Lumière had once been a beautiful place full of light and wonder. But that was many, many years ago.

Gallica was in deep turmoil, and she, being a noble born lady, was confined to her castle. She was held against her will and barely anyone knew who she really was.

The door opened, unannounced, and she turned suspiciously, ready to reprimand whoever it was.

One glance told her it was one of her soldiers named Bastien. He was one of the few people that treated her well and knew of her situation.

"My, you scared me there." She told him with a smile, turning her grey eyes on him. "What do you need?"

The soldier, a blonde youth with enough build to show he was a fighter, executed a bow and then stepped hurriedly towards her.

"My Lady, you must come with me immediately." He ordered, offering a hand to help her up.

Liliane withdrew slightly, narrowing her eyes. "What's so important?" She asked.

Bastien shook his head. "There isn't time to explain."

She crossed her arms and fixed him with a stubborn expression. "I won't go until you tell me."

The soldier winced as if in pain and then conceded, but none of the tension left his body.

"Your cousin Lord Theodore arrived a day ago."

Liliane waved her hand in impatience. "I'm well aware of that."

Bastien crossed his arms in front of his chest and fixed her with a stern gaze. "Well I just received news that King Henri was assassinated."

The Princess blinked and then attempted to speak, but words wouldn't form.

"Are you certain?" She asked after a long pause.

The soldier nodded enthusiastically. "Very, my Lady. And I'm sure Theodore was the one who did it, but even if he wasn't the villain, he's claiming the throne for himself and bringing the local warlords under his pennant. He plans to conquer Gallica and unite us once and for all."

Bastien drew a deep breath. "That's not all, my Lady. I heard from my captain that the soldiers and footmen, as well as freelance knights are to report to Theodore. He's reassembling the army. But I fear he's bringing _too_ many to simply bring order back."

Liliane, who was recovering from the shock that her father was dead, glanced up at Bastien in deep surprise. "So what do you think he is doing?"

The soldier shifted uncomfortably. "Well, from what I've heard, he plans to create a war. The best way to unite a country is through outside threat." He quoted, feeling silly for lecturing a Princess. "Teutlandt is too weak and insignificant for Theodore's uses; I think he'll either target Iberion or Araluen."

Liliane, who had once had proper studies as a noble, knew the geography outside her country. Any other countries nearby could be hard to take. If a country was conquered by military might, the nearby Skandians could join in. So she could see the appeal in taking a strong country, especially Araluen, with its small island and lack of mobility in warfare.

"This is bad." She whispered.

Bastien leant forward and grasped her wrist, pulling her to her feet without warning. She gave a small noise of protest from his rough handling.

"Yes, and it will only get worse for you if you stay here, my Lady." He told her, setting across her room to find anything of value to take. "That's why you have to leave. If you can escape, you won't have to face Theodore, who has reason to kill you at any moment."

The Princess struggled to voice her thoughts. "But _how_ will I escape?"

The soldier looked up at her from the chest he was raiding on her floor. He only grabbed absolute essentials.

"There are more than you think that are loyal to the Gallican throne. Granted, we haven't had a true monarch in a century, but they'd rather give you a chance than have Theodore ruling." He told her truthfully.

Liliane felt a deep hum of warmth rise within her at the news of loyalty amongst the chaos.

"Alright, how should I leave?"

Bastien took out a rough dress, worn down through the years, and a piece of cloth to cover her hair.

"The door guards are gone to help secure horses, and if you wear this, few people should recognise you. After all, they only think you're a noble lady. Most of the folk should ignore you."

The woman accepted the guise without a word.

"Now, I have to go and make sure we _can_ escape. Getting from your room is the easy part." He said. "Take the servants quarters and the kitchens so you avoid people, Dalia in the kitchens will help you get out. Then head near the stables, you'll see horses saddled and ready, but don't go too near in case the guards there aren't on your side." He ordered.

Liliane nodded and accepted his orders without question. He was by far more experienced in these situations and she trusted him with her life.

Before he left her, he stepped forward and handed her a small package from within the folds of his cloak.

"This is your seal, the seal of your father, documents to help legitimise your claim and some money. One of the guards helped me access the treasury and take them."

The Princess blinked, attempting to smile, but too scared of the forthcoming events to manage it.

"Go safely, my Lady." Bastien told her, hurrying from the room and making sure the halls were clear for her.

Liliane hurried into her new clothes once he left, making sure to hide most of her hair and even using some of her make up to dust her face and make it less appealing.

Satisfied that she had done the best for herself, she took her small bag of things and opened the door, prepared to leave her castle, her home and her country, for good.

* * *

Lord Theodore paced the treasury, casually glancing at the Kingdom's crown every few seconds.

It sat upon a dais, glittering in the faint shaft of sunlight that came through from a small window.

Soon, it would be his.

Unexpectedly, the door opened and one of the door guards stepped in, anxiety clearly written across his face.

"My Lord, Lady Liliane has escaped!" He announced.

Theodore looked up, a flash of anger touching his handsome features.

"How?" He demanded.

The guard shrank back, well aware of Theodore's temper.

"She was aided, my Lord. Almost a fifth of the garrison is missing. Some of the castle staff have gone too. Most the horses have left."

Immediately, the Lord stood and made his way to a corner of the room, finding a small sealed box. Opening it, Theodore gave a hiss of frustration, seeing that the royal seals were gone.

"When did they leave?" He demanded, advancing on the poor guard.

"Hours ago, my Lord." He stammered.

Theodore scowled and let his hand fall to the hilt of his sword. The guard followed his gaze nervously. The Lord was a great swordsman and wasn't afraid to carry out his own will.

Attempting to get back onto the Lord's more reasonable side, the guard hesitantly asked, "Should we deploy a force to retrieve her?"

The new Lord of Château de Grande Lumière relaxed and managed a smile, although it didn't touch his eyes.

"No, that won't be necessary. You can leave me." He commanded.

Bowing and thanking the Gods, the guard gratefully left his Lord's presence.

Theodore sat down on an ornately decorated chair, once more eyeing the crown.

Liliane was a thorn in his side, but in the end, she couldn't really do anything to stop him.

In a dominantly patriarch society, even the true heir to the Gallican throne couldn't prevent the tyranny that was to come.

No, he thought. Everything was still working to his plans.

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**A/N:**

So the only reason this is posted now and not a week ago when I thought of it, was because it's soo hard to create an evil Frenchy dude, since the names I came up with were all from classic stories as the villains! I didn't want to be accused of taking ideas from other material, so I thought; Theodore is a reasonably innocent name, let's make him evil.

Anyway, let me know if you like it! :)

- Love Mae.


	2. Plea for Help

**Author's Note:**

Filler chapter-ish.

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**Chapter One:**

**|| Plea for Help ||**

**xxx**

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King Duncan glanced up from his chair as Lord Anthony was entered.

"Anthony." He greeted his friend.

Bowing his head, the Lord flashed a shy, hesitant smile. "Your majesty, you have a visitor in the Court Room." He said.

Frowning, Duncan shifted so he could sit straight. "Court isn't in session." He stated.

Lord Anthony nodded. "I know, your majesty, but this is quite important."

Duncan looked to his right, where Crowley stood and they swapped glances.

"Alright, tell them I'll be there soon." He ordered and the Chamberlain nodded and hurried out.

"Important guest?" Crowley echoed.

"Apparently, I wonder who it is." The King commented absently.

* * *

When the King was announced, everyone stood at attention and bowed.

Duncan made his way to the throne chair, as was customary for him to receive visitors.

He found curiously, a young woman, probably younger or the same age as his daughter, with a single soldier by her side.

The woman was quite pretty, but obviously nervous.

"Your majesty, may I present Princess Liliane." Anthony called out.

There were many confused glances around the room. A side door opened and he saw his daughter enter the room, having just been called to the meeting from another part of the castle. Horace was in tow. They both had the same looks of confusion when they heard who the 'visitor' was.

"Princess Liliane." Duncan repeated, quietly so only the Chamberlain could hear.

Anthony resisted the urge to act out of character and simply nodded.

"Yes, your majesty. Of Gallica." She replied with an unmistakable Gallican accent. Thankfully everyone could understand her.

"Gallica?" Everyone took an intake of breath and everyone's gaze turned to the woman before the King.

"I thought Gallica didn't have any royals." Cassie whispered to Horace.

The knight shrugged. "Halt once told me they did." Was all he said.

Liliane executed a curtsey and lowered her gaze, visibly biting her lip. Despite being a Princess, she had more or less spent her life imprisoned in a castle.

"Your majesty, I am Princess Liliane of Gallica." Raising her eyes slightly, she said, "I know it's hard to believe, but my father was King Henri, who was recently assassinated."

Duncan was aware of Gallica's precarious situation and it wasn't a shock that the weak King had finally been deposed.

"Your Chamberlain has my royal seal and various documents to prove my identity." She went on.

Glancing to his side, Anthony nodded in confirmation. So that's why he had asked for the meeting, he believed the girl was telling the truth.

"An escort?" The King asked quietly.

Nodding, Anthony answered, "Yes, she has a retinue of guards and servants secured in the courtyard."

"I'm sorry for your loss." Duncan began, because he couldn't really say he was sorry Henri was dead. "But why have you come here?"

Liliane took a breath and folded her hands in front of her. "I have come to plead the King of Araluen for help. I wish for you to help me regain my throne and restore Gallica to how it was."

Cassie folded her arms in an un-Princess like way. Horace noticed the gesture and smiled.

"I can offer you safety here at the castle, Princess, but retaking the throne would require a full-scale war."

Nodding, Liliane stood her ground. "Thank you, your majesty. I would gladly accept that offer, but perhaps you should hear my story before you dismiss my idea."

Many of the few people standing there were surprised by her boldness.

"Very well." Duncan said eventually with the slightest twitch of a smile on his face. The girl was reminding him more and more of Cassie with each word.

"I recently escaped my castle at Gallica, where the monarchy has reigned for years. My father, whom I rarely saw, decided to stay at another castle. As you know, Gallica isn't matriarchal, even as a Princess I could never take the throne. I learnt he was assassinated, and my captain here," she indicated to Bastien, "came to warn me and helped me escape."

"Do you know who killed King Henri?" Duncan asked.

Frowning, Liliane nodded. "I am certain it was a man named Lord Theodore, who is my cousin. As a male he has a claim to the throne." She sighed and bit her lip again. "I've grown up knowing I would be married off, but Lord Theodore is uniting my country, and by doing that he's planning to go to war with neighbouring countries. Gallica has ships, not as great as the Skandians, but he's been plotting for years, I'm sure of it."

"You think he would attack Araluen?"

She nodded again. "The best way to unite a Kingdom is by introducing an outside threat. Your kingdom would also provide a great plunder if they were successful."

Duncan let his gaze meet Crowley's and saw that the Corps Commandant was nodding. So far, everything she had said made sense. Only yesterday he was telling the King that Gallican forces were moving, from the spies they had there.

"So what you propose is for us to go to war, and then crown you?" Anthony asked.

Liliane shifted nervously. "Well yes. We have a treasury, but I'm not sure how it will fare after all this, but I can offer you a treaty between our Kingdoms. I'm certain if not soon, but eventually, he will come here."

The King sat in silence for a few minutes before nodding. "My advisors and I will have to think about this. But in the meantime, as I said, you're free to stay here, someone will see to your men as well."

Curtseying, she smiled gratefully. "Thank you your majesty."

As everyone was dismissed, Duncan called over his daughter.

"Cassie, would you mind getting to know the Princess and helping her around?" He asked.

She frowned but didn't protest.

"It will also give us a chance to gauge her personality."

"Alright Dad." She answered and he smiled.

Horace came up beside her, after keeping his distance when the King approached.

"What was that about?"

Cassie turned to smile at him. "I have to take care of Princess Liliane." She said with a neutral tone.

"She seems nice." The knight commented.

Sighing, she resisted the urge to swat him.

"Well, come on."


	3. Trusting Instincts

**Author's Note:**

*dies from lack of creativity*

Oh btw (not really a spoiler), since Gallica becomes relatively stable in Book 10 this kinda links to it in a way. Go me for guessing Flanagan's thought processes.

Some of the random advisers have been borrowed from my other stories.

Also Liliane's personality from the second chapter has differed. I assume she had to have some assertive-ness for a meeting, but here you see what she's more naturally like.

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**Chapter Two:**

**|| Trusting Instincts ||**

**xxx**

* * *

Duncan entered the room with little fanfare.

His advisers rose to greet him as protocol demanded, but apart from that, it was a relatively simple meeting.

"You may sit." He ordered as he took a seat at his desk, so he faced everyone in the room.

The room consisted of Lord Anthony, Lady Pauline (who happened to have been at Castle Araluen on business), Ranger Crowley, Ranger Geldon, Sir Richard, Lord Berran and Lord Peter as well as a senior scribe who was there to write down the ideas that flew about the room and hopefully the final outcome.

"Now, to discuss the matter at hand: Gallica." He announced.

Richard let a fist fall to the table.

"If what the Princess says is true, then we have a fight on her hands, for sure. The question is; where shall it be?"

Berran, who was a rather shrewd man, had a good idea for politics. He coughed and drew the attention towards him.

"Either way, we would be deposing a foreign leader and replacing him. To go to war on another country's land could spark conflict between the countries surrounding Gallica." He made eye contact with Richard. "Politically, it would be much wiser to let them come here and then deal with it."

Geldon shook his head. "If this Lord Theodore is uniting the Kingdom, we could be well-matched or even outnumbered on our land. It would be a much better choice to engage him as soon as we can, while he still has to gather warlords. There will be many who will resist him to keep their own power; we can use that to our advantage."

Duncan nodded his assent, after taking in all the opinions voiced. "Peter," he voiced and turned towards the Diplomatic Service Head. "What do you think?"

Peter tapped his chin thoughtfully. "Berran and Geldon both make good points. However, we have treaties between Toscana, Arrida and Skandia, and they keep the smaller countries in order. I doubt if we helped Gallica, under the Princess' banner, we would cause trouble. And we can always call in help from our treaties."

Lady Pauline nodded. "I agree, however Toscana and Arrida are locked in a feud at the moment, I doubt they would be able to help. However the Skandians are our allies and can be hired as mercenaries, we could use their allegiance and the promise of money from Gallica's treasury as a means for extra men." She said quietly.

"Lord Anthony?"

The Chamberlain raised his eyebrows. He was used for formality and such, rarely called on for tactical advice. "I believe Princess Liliane's existence is justified, your majesty and that her claims for war match our reports," was all he could say, feeling out of place amongst the meeting.

Duncan made a small '_hmm' _noise as he absorbed the various comments.

"Crowley?" The King asked at length.

The Ranger, having hung back as everyone else had their turn, stepped forward with an incline of his head.

"I agree with Lord Peter and Lady Pauline, their assumptions are logical. I also believe that Liliane's story holds true, Lord Theodore must underestimate her use or disregard her entirely if she has escaped. I also think Richard has a point; we're going to war anyway if Theodore wants to attack Araluen. We just need to find the best tactical advantage for us."

Silence descended.

"Does everyone here agree that we shall go to war against Gallica?" King Duncan asked after everyone had grown quiet.

Everyone nodded in reply.

He sighed. "We seem to enjoy being mixed up in other country's affairs." Duncan rubbed his temples. "Right, Lord Anthony, please take the final documents to the Court of Nobles and have them see it. I _know_ I can announce war on my own, but I'd like their opinions too."

It was something to be said about Duncan's trust. His advisers, noble or not, were held above the pompous Lords and Ladies that resided at Castle Araluen.

"I shall call you all back when I have a verdict. You may leave."

* * *

Liliane heard knocking at her chamber door, and bid the person to enter.

Bastien entered with an incline of his head. "My lady, you have a visitor." He told her in Gallican.

"Oh?" She replied, still in their native tongue.

The captain moved to the side to let another warrior through.

He was tall and well built, clearly a great athlete with his grace and movement. At his hip was a sword, obviously not for decoration, although he wore simple linen clothes.

"Greetings, your highness." He told her in Araluen, bowing politely.

As he looked down, Liliane flicked a glance towards her captain. He remained stoic and still and she figured if Bastien let him in, he had a reason.

"Oh, none of that." She replied in Araluen, but still unable to mask her heavy accent. "I'm out of my country and dethroned, I don't feel like a Princess." She confessed.

The knight rose, smiling slightly. He had startling blue eyes, she noticed. "If you say so, my lady." He answered, opting for a less formal title. He was also rather handsome.

"What brings you to my chambers..." she trailed off, biting her lip as she realised he hadn't gotten his name.

"Sir Horace, Champion to Princess Cassandra." He offered.

"Champion? What are you doing here then?" She asked in her surprise.

Horace looked amused but straightened and let his arms clasp behind his back. "The Princess Cassandra has invited you for a tour of the castle, if you would like to join her."

Liliane smiled. "That sounds wonderful; may I bring Bastien with me?"

Horace nodded. "Of course, she'll arrive within an hour to see you."

The Princess nodded and resisted the urge to courtesy.

With his message delivered, Horace excused himself and left the room.

Liliane was left facing her captain as well as a few of her Gallican maids.

"He seemed nice." She voiced.

* * *

Just as he said, the Crown Princess arrived an hour later to escort the Gallican Princess around the castle grounds.

Liliane hurried out of her chambers, conscious that she would keep the Princess waiting as she took her time.

As one of her door guards opened the door, she stepped out with Bastien in tow.

While she wore a rather tight fitting dress that wasn't too frilly or formal, (and the current fashion in Gallica), compared to Princess Cassandra she felt overdressed.

Cassie merely wore a simple but elegant green dress, to match the warm weather. Her growing blonde hair was let loose around her beautiful face. Her expression was neutral as Liliane approached her.

Both Princesses acknowledged each other with formality, although Liliane deliberately curtseyed deeper to show her inferiority.

"Princess Liliane." Cassie's voice wasn't as girly as Liliane imagined. If anything, it was almost boyish.

"Crown Princess Cassandra." She replied, smiling slightly to try and ease the awkwardness.

Despite Cassie's initial distrust of her, Horace had told her that the royal was much humbler than first seen and clearly out of her depth at Castle Araluen. This had softened the Crown Princess', since she felt better knowing she wasn't trying to befriend another pompous idiot.

"If you come with me, I'll show you around my home." Cassie voiced, her bright green eyes reflecting no ill-intent.

Feeling reassured, Liliane walked up to her so they stood side by side.

"Right, we'll go this way." Cassie announced and led them off down a hall that Liliane couldn't recognise.

The Gallican Princess looked sceptically as only the knight Horace followed them, with the exception of Bastien. Brought up in a home filled with danger, even before Liliane had been kept under scrutiny, she had guards follow her everywhere for safety.

"You don't take guards with you?" She asked politely.

Cassie gave her a sideways glance, as if gauging Liliane's concept of self-preservation or simple curiosity. She decided to go with the latter.

"Castle Araluen is heavily guarded; it's very hard for anyone to get in without someone noticing." The Princess smiled privately as she looked on ahead. "Besides, if someone _did_ manage to get in here, they would be hard pressed to get past Horace."

Looking back, Liliane saw the slightest twitch of a smile on the knight's face.

'_Either she's overconfident, or she's telling the truth.'_ She thought.

* * *

By the end of the tour, which lasted a good few hours, Cassie showed them the way back to Liliane's chambers.

The two Princesses regarded each other with much better attitudes.

Cassie realised Liliane was used to feeling scared and insecure, especially around men, while Liliane thought she could trust Cassandra and even quietly admired her.

"I thank you for that, you highness." Liliane told the other girl with sincerity.

"No problem. And you can call me Cassandra if you like."

The Araluen Princess looked at Horace, who made a point to remind her of the time.

"I'm sorry," she apologised, "but I've got to meet with my father this afternoon. I'll see you at dinner then?"

Liliane nodded. "Yes, and many thanks again."

Cassie resisted the urge to giggle at Liliane's insistent humbling words and instead nodded in reply.

Horace followed obediently, although he came to her side now that they were alone and calmly walked beside her.

"So what do you think of her?" He asked innocently.

Cassie hid the smile that was threatening to come across her face.

"She seems nice." She answered neutrally.

Horace let out a laugh as she bit her tongue, refusing to say anything else.

* * *

**A/N:**

And no, Cassie and Horace aren't together. They're obviously close trusted friends and hopefully as I get along there will be romantic tension :) Will and Alyss will come in soon, but luckily they _will_ be together so no stress there.

The 'nice' stuff may or may not stop. I like running joke-things, and so does Flanagan. I shall see.

- Mae.


End file.
